We held the first game of the Wolf and Blake campaign last Saturday in Carbon Blanc. Jean-Jacques (Stenka) is taking command of the Coalition side, while Stephane (french-mechwarrior) is playing the Wobbies. Stephane got to play his side, and since we had a new player, we were 4, so each side had 2 players.

Stephane played the Opacus Venatori Malak, Gurkha and Mercury (which was, for fun and giggles) switched in favor of a Locust LCT-5M, and I assisted hiom with 2 OTT-9CS Ostscout (4/5) and 1 OTT 10 CS Ostcout (yup, the one that jumps 10 hexes… *grins*)

Facing us, Jean-Jacques was deploying a 3025 Wolfhound, a Spector and a Nighthawk, and was supported by Fred, with some cool clan stuff (2 Donars, the HML variant) and 1 Oro (HAG 30 variant).

Stephane picked the Recon mission, with all the bonuses… which meant I wouldn’t be able to jump into the heavy woods *grumbles*. So, the Robes were to recon some buildings in a till now obscure part of Foochow where ROM had tracked weird radio traffic, and unexplainable movements. Were they the Resistance’s? Robes were to scan all buildings and as many of the enemy units as possible (who wants to scan a Clan LPL toting toting tank up close anyways? eh eh)

Trees on hex bases are light woods, and those without are heavy (and hence unpassable and blocking terrain). Yo’re seeing the terrain from the Wob’s entry side. There are 3 buildings to scan, spread all over Stenka’s side. The japanese torii and the, errmmm, coffeee cup don’t count.

Stef deployed hois 3 mechs close together in the centre. I spread my OTTs all over our base line, with the intent of rushing in and scanning all I coud.

Stenka and Fred deployed on the other side, with the obvious intent of parking the Oro on top of the level 2 hill from which it would rain death and destruction unimpeded.

The Oro soon got in position. That was an interesting turn for the OTT 9CS on the left flank, who had to face shots from a C LPL and HAG 30. Running at top speed, and keeping at med range of both guns while the Oro was still reaching position just barely avoided hits. 1 more oint on the dice and that LPL would have made it! The OTT, having performed its mission, jumped back into the light woods and safety.

On the other flank, the LCT managed to scan another building (no BAP means it had to spend 2 turns within 4 hexes), which gave some top speed manoeuvering…

And despite the Spector’s interference, the OTT 10CS, having run the gauntlet of the Donars and enemy light mechs, eventually scans the last building (there too, no BAP, 2 turns to do it. Fortunately the Spector failed to kick, the following turn, the OTT’s head (as well, finding a blind spot from that Oro was not that easy…)

All that was left to do was running back home. Scanning the Opfor on the way, too. “Say cheese, wolfy, the little bird’s coming out!”

The game ended soon afterwards, as 3 WoB mechs had made it to safety, fulfilling the Victory conditions. No unit was killed and the 3 buildings, all mechs and a Donar were scanned, which gave the othercondition to the WoB. A fun game indeed, all of manoeuver and speed, which could have gone very differently had teh Oro beeen parked in a better position.

Somewhere along the flanks of an advancing Panzerdivision, chance has it that the Soviets have managed to gather a significantly superior force that could threaten lines of communication, and force delays in the exploitation that would allow some of their harassed units to escape and regroup.

“Tovaritch Polkovnik, do you think your plan can succeeed? Remember that we are all under the eyes of the Party”

Polkovnik (Colonel) Fedor Ivanovitch Foxbatov returned the stare, careful to let his eyes remain unexpressive. “As if I did not know you’ll make sure of it, you NKVD stukash… You’ll report me to save your precious little zampolit skin ” he tought, but all he answered was a mere “Da, major, it will”, before dismissing Major Dimitrov, the man who pretended to be his second-in-command… He retrieved the hip bottle from his pocket, and gulped a swallow of vodka. His hands were shaking as he corked it back.

German Force

1 x CO CV9

2 x HQ CV9

8 x Heer Reg Infantry

2 x HMG

2 x Pak 36/37

2 x le IG18 75mm

all forces begin entranched.

Russian force

1 x CO CV8

2 x HQ CV8

16 x Reg Infantry

4 x HMG

2 x Med Mortars

2 x Recce BA20

2 x T26 Mg

2 x T 26 45mm

1 x 76 mm battery + 2 assets

1 x 122 mm battery + 2 assets

2 x I 16 ground attack, 1 asset each.

Game length 8 turns

Russians need to occupy noth objectives before turn 8 to win, or to break the ennemy battlegroup. Auto suppression and recon rules in play.

Map :

View of the battlefield and german positions (the russians in the lower left hand corner are not deployed of course!). On objective 1, both guns are on the upper level, the AT gun covering the flank. The axis of march takes the Russsian infantry into the jaws of the waiting MG 42s, emplaced on the right of the german position. On the German left, the lack of space on the hill forces the Russian commander to adopt a curved frontline.

The russian set up : 1 battalion will assail each objective, while HMGs and mortars will provide direct support, and armor will envelop the German right flank. Since armor has been massed on the left, and time is short, the right wing will have to advance without support. On turn 4, a 122mm salvo and a ground attack will hit hill 1, which will be hit on turn 4 by a single 76 mm salvo. Hill 2 will be hit likewise on turn 7 & 8.

The Russian right wing. The unit with the jeep is the Battalion HQ.

On the first turn, a failed command roll left the Russian armor stranded. The right wing gets but a single move, while the center battalion moves but once. The only saving grace is that the Germans roll bad too, and fail to inflict damage on the Russians.

Things are better on turn 2, despite a mistake of the Russian player (me) activating the CO first. Fortunately, it managed to pass 3 rolls, getting some suppot fire at the Germans (no damage inflicted, though) and give the infantry 2 moves. OP fire causes some losses on the infantry

The right wing advances, and gets devatstated by the German OP fire, losing a platoon. Lots more will be lost before the end of the game. Attacking in the open against entrenched position is extremely damaging (as should be), and that unit experienced a little Chemin des Dames… As you an see, a Soviet platoon just got their comeuppance :

Major Dimitrov snarled ; ” you will advance, major! I don’t care you are suffering losses, this hill needs to be taken, and your men will take it! ” 2nd Battalion’s commander, Major Nitchenko, allowed his rage to burst out : “You little rat, bootlicking know-nothing! All you’ll do is get us all slaughtered, I’ll never allow this, we are going to fall back and…”

The single pistol shot seemed to ring louder than the din of the battle. As Dimitrov holstered his smoking Tokarev, he turned to another offcer ” Captain Borissov, you’ve just been promoted to command of 2nd Battalion. Now carry on with the attack”

Turn 3 was the decisive turn. Though it failed to inflict losses, artillery and air support suppress about everyone on hill 1, allowing the infantry to close the range, and armor to reach the foot of the hill and outflank the Germans. Good command rolls were not good enough though to allow for enough fire to capitalize on the suppressions. On the right flank, the infantry advanced again and got another platoon suppressed. that platoon, and another were killed during the German phase, which, thanks to the suppressions, was mercifully short. Blue dice indicate losses steps.

Turn 4 : the scheduled 76mm salvo managed to suppress the HMGs and the CO. However, the advancing central infantry lost a platoon to op fire, while the AT gun, opening on a BA20, got a hit, which was saved. The German turn, in that sector, saw 2 platoons get destroyed… a really bloody affair, but the Russians had at last managed to reach good attack positions.

On the right flank, the infantry advanced, getting another platoon suppressed… The German, frustrated at the slow pace of the soviet casualties apparently, reorganised his force to get everyone facing in the right direction, and so got 2 platoons out of the trenches cover… needless to say, op fire got immediately one to rest, causing the first german casualty. Russians lost two platoons, before the Germans failed their command roll.

Turn 5 : Armor opened up on the HMG nest on the left falnk, suppressing it. Return fire by the Pak 36 failed tio cause a single hit. The next order saw the HMGs close assaulted from the front and flank, while no fewer than 4 armor units and 1 infantry unit provided close support. Hurrah pobieda, the Soviets managed to destroy that platoon, clearing their first trench. A lucky command roll alolowed some more fire to be poured at the Pak 36, suppressing it. In essence, teh Germans now had no unit in LOF of the flanking soviets… So they advanced 2 of their platoons, just in range of the 4 HMGs and 2 Med Mortars which promptly took out one in Op Fire.

On the right flank, a successful order allowed to take out the exposed platoon, whilme the Germans failed to cause more than suppression.

Turn 6 saw the German left flank continue to crumble, with a close assault that took out the Pak36, and some more fire pinning the exposed infantry platoon. The right wing battalion took position in the vacated enemy trenches what was left of it) flanking the German left wing company. Lack of enough surviving units on objective 1, and a failed command roll on objective 2 made for a very short German turn.

The game ended on turn 7 : The artillery and air support on hill 2 pinned about everyone there, and 2 more German units were destroyed, bringing their total to 7, 1 unit above breakpoint. The morale roll was 11, which broke the German battlegroup and gave victory to the Soviets.